The Weekly Show 7/19/25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the weekly show here on iHeartRadio
on ninety three nine Light FM, one All three five, KISSFM,
and Rock ninety five to five. Today we're chatting with
doctor Appril Barnes, a pediatrician. We're talking all about meningitis,
and we're also chatting with Charlene Kemmler CEO of the
Loveland Foundation about how we're addressing concerns about how mental
health affects different people and different groups in different ways.

(00:23):
Let's kick off the show today.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
We're joined by Charlene Kemler, CEO of the Loveland Foundation.
You can find them online at the Loveland Foundation dot org. Charlene,
I appreciate the time, thanks for joining me.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Thank you for having me. It's a complete honor, especially
during BIPOD Mental Health Awareness Month.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, so tell me first about the Loveline Foundation. What
is it? Why was it founded? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
We are a nationwide organization that actually covers a cross
of therapy sessions for black women and girls nationwide. So
we're also hoping that if we address the mental health
issues within marginalized communities, we're actually able to dress mental
health issues for everyone. That's truly the hope for the organization.
We've been doing it for five years and we've covered

(01:07):
well over two hundred and ten thousand hours of therapy
session since we've been started.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Is there a gap in the mental health assistance available
to Black women and girls?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
There is? In general, there's a mental health gap for everyone.
To be fully transparent with you, now, within the black community,
there's less opportunities for our participants to actually find a
therapist of color. But in general, what our biggest goal
really is is destigmatizing mental health and actually giving folks
all the tools that's possible because one of the things

(01:41):
that we've realized within our short time that we've been
doing this as an organization is that there's not enough
therapists out there. So that's one of the things that
we're trying to increase access to for everyone, but also
being able to just make mental health accessible. So one
of the things that our participants come to us and
tell us is that they have to make a choice
between covering one week's worth of groceries versus one hour

(02:04):
of therapy session. And no one should be able to
have to make that has to make that decision, especially
when you're always being told put your oxygen mask on
first before you can assist everyone else, right, And that's
what the organization is about. We're here to basically give
you that oxygen mask so you can take care of
yourself and then be able to take care of everybody
else within your community. Is it?

Speaker 2 (02:25):
And I find this when I deal with mental health
issues having to do with with military veterans, with members
of law enforcement, really with men, with men in general
in the black communities, it's still kind of taboo or
stigmatized to even talk about needing somebody to talk to
having mental health issues.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
M it is.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
And actually, I'm really glad that you brought that up, Manny,
because you're even talking about veterans. It is something that
even for veterans is a hard process. And I have
to give the DA a lot of credit that they've
been able to help destigmatize that, especially when people are
dealing with post traumatic stresses order. And for us, what
we're really trying to do is just break down that barrier,

(03:06):
allowing folks to understand that your mental health is just
as important as your physical health. So being able to
give folks the tools, show them how to use the tools,
and then let them decide which tool works best for them.
That's where the sustainability comes in, and that's where the
destigmatization comes in, because not everybody really wants to do

(03:26):
therapy sessions and that's okay. However, maybe it's you actually
having an opportunity to do a guided meditation, some folks
really respond to that, or doing a sound back folks
respond to that, or doing a yoga flow series, or
even going out for a yoga for a run or
even going for a walk. It's really just giving folks

(03:47):
in this mentality of taking care of the mental well
being and really figuring out what is the best fit
for you.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Why was the Loveland Foundation originally created? Where where did
the founder find that need in the community?

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Lass so our founder Rachel Cargole had five years ago
came out of her very first therapy session and it
was the most eye opening therapy session for her and
she was so happy that she finally was able to
afford therapy. That her thing when she walked out of
that session. She wanted every woman to feel that, but

(04:24):
in particular Black women to feel that when they are
at least leaving a therapy session. And she felt that
this was a complete audience that didn't really have access
to that, and she really wanted to make it accessible
for all. So she started up a Beautiful Birthday wish
fundraiser where she told her audience, Hey, I for my birthday,

(04:44):
I would like to grant other women the opportunity to
go to therapy. And when she did that, she was
able to raise over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Is what we started off with. Wow, and we've been
able to build that two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
to the foundation that you currently see right now.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's amazing. The website, by the way, the Loveland Foundation
dot org, the Loveland correct Foundation dot org. You talk
about needing more, for example, black therapists and something like that,
is it because a black therapist would better be able
to associate with a black woman and girl in a

(05:22):
therapy session, or because a black woman and girl would
feel more comfortable opening up to a black therapist.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
It's you know what, It's both actually, manny, and really
what we've told our participants is if you have found
a therapist who is a therapist that you like, and
it's a therapist who is not of color, at the
end of the day, if you're getting the support you need.
That's the most imperative thing. However, what we've realized is

(05:49):
that for a lot of our participants, it's easier for
you to go in to actually see a therapist who
reflects yourself because they feel like they're not having to
go over any of the micro aggressions that folks may
be going through and explaining their situations that can sometimes
be a little bit triggering and traumatizing for folks. For example,
my husband full Transparency, is a white man and his

(06:13):
therapist is actually a black woman because his thing was
he's an inner ration. His therapist before was a white
woman and she really wasn't understanding the West Indian culture.
So he went and found a therapist who actually understood
the West Indian culture, and he found a black female
therapist where he feels like he was getting the most
out of it, where he felt he was training his

(06:34):
therapist about cross cultural differences and that was something he
didn't want to be spending his time right in therapy doing.
And that's what a lot of folks feel. And that's
one of the things that we are actually really proud
of as an organism. As I said, allies are just
as important our goal at the Foundation is really if
we focused on our goal is that if we focus

(06:54):
and reimagine the mental health therapy for a black women,
we're actually reimagining it for everyone and giving everyone an
easier process through it. So for our allies, for example,
we actually do a cross cultural training for therapists who
are not actually of color. So if you are a
white therapist who wants to actually do the cross cultural training,

(07:16):
it's an amazing opportunity because our whole thing is it's
either you know or you don't know, and if you
don't know, it's our job to actually give you the training.
And if you want that training, it allows for more
sustainabilities because, as I said before, the numbers is a
number game is what we're playing right now. We just
don't have enough therapists in general for the United States

(07:38):
population overall. The Attorney a Surgeon General has been seeing
this for over four different administrations, so it's nothing new.
But what we are trying to do is increase that
access but also understand that sometimes allies need that training
so that they're not doing the training on their participant.
Instead they have the understanding, they're understanding the culture and

(08:01):
it makes for a much more successful therapy session for
everyone at the end of the day, and that's our goal.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Do you provide resources for a therapist who might want
to be able to expand their abilities?

Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yes, we do. And one of the things that we're
really proud of is that we are not only about
ones for nurturing our population, but we also nurture the nurturers.
So we actually provide group therapy sessions for our therapists,
offer them therapy sessions as well, and we also try
to provide them a cross cultural training because that's something
that our therapists have asked for in their fields. And

(08:37):
that's something that we're really proud of, is that we
are listening to our therapists and providing them the resources
that they actually need to be successful in their jobs.
And I think that's what all therapists are looking for,
is for folks to meet them in the middle and
be able to help them expand. And that's what the
Foundation has been able to do with all of our
you know, we have well over five thousand active therapists

(08:59):
within our new works and we partner with large therapy
directory partners because we thought that's more sustainability. We don't
always have to reinvent the wheel. If someone is out
there doing something amazing, partner with them. That's where you
get the long term impact. That's where you get the
true philanthropy, and that's where you're able to actually see
the change.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
A few more minutes here with Charlene Kemmler, CEO of
the Loveland Foundation. The website is the Loveland Foundation dot org.
Real briefly, again, if you could explain the foundation and
what it does.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
We actually provide the cost of therapy sessions, cover the
cost of therapy sessions for black women and girls nationwide,
but we also provide the resources for our therapists. We're
trying to increase the access to our therapists in terms
of continuing education and also being able to provide them
our amazing healers is what they call what we call them,

(09:55):
providing access for our healers to heal as well. So
we are really a men health organization that is trying
to change the ecosystem of mental health in general so
that it's actually accessible for everyone within the United States.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Bigger challenge for you fundraising for the organization or getting
the word out that these resources that you provide to
the community, are even available.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
The biggest challenge that we are facing right now is
the demand to be fully transparent with you. It really
is the demand. We are seeing folks come to us.
We're seeing the same numbers that we were seeing during
the pandemic. And during the pandemic it was a time
where everyone actually realized, oh, I'm human and I have emotions,

(10:42):
and that I need these resources. And we were able
to provide those resources. This year alone, from January to April,
for example, we spend already one point two million dollars
in therapy sessions for folks. Wow, that is more as
almost double that what we spent last year. So this year,
what we have seen is that with unfortunately, with the

(11:05):
current news cycle that you're seeing and everyone is seeing,
it is causing significant anxiety for folks. You know, there
we are in a time of isolation. That was something
that then the Surgeon General had spoken about for a
very long time that Americans right now are seen in
the silos of isolation, and US for an organization is

(11:28):
really working with as many mental health organizations out there
as possible so that we can actually provide this access because,
as I said, before. The problem that we're having right
now this year is the demand. We've had a significant
uptick of folks because they've lost their jobs and because
of the current economy that we're in right now, they're

(11:50):
not feeling comfortable being able to pay for their therapy
session and are coming to us as an organization to
cover those sessions for them. And us as an organization
we cover up to twelve sessions per participant.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
That gives some participants up to three to four months
of therapy sessions.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
Has the Foundation's mission changed as you've uncovered the need
the demand out.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
There, our mission has not really changed that much. We've
been very clear when we first started off this organization,
we did a landscape analysis to really see what resources
were out there, who's doing what work out there, and
if they're doing it, partner with it. But if we're
seeing that there is a need a gap, how do
we fill in that gap? And one of the things

(12:36):
that we noticed was that when it came to direct services,
that was something that we saw there was a lack
of and that's why we created our system very simple.
The only thing we have actually increased is not even increased,
We've increased we truly have. We've increased the numbers of
vouchers that we've given. We started off with four vouchers,
increased to eight, and have increased to twelve because of

(12:57):
the feedback that we got from our therapists. And then
on top of it, we've really been noticing that there's
been a drop off and a lot of our therapists
because after the pandemic, a lot of therapists were no
longer taking clients and they had a really big burnout.
So one of the things that we have actually focused
on is how do we prevent burnout in our therapists.
How are we nurturing the nurturers so that we can

(13:19):
continue to utilize them as resources. And I would say
that's a little shift that we've been able to make
is really being able to include our therapists into our
mission because they are our DNA. We cannot do what
we do without our amazing therapists within our network, and
it's imperative that we take care of them so that

(13:39):
they can continue to take care of the populations that
they serve.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
How does someone listening take advantage of the resources you're providing,
either for mental health treatment or as a therapist.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
As a therapist or for mental health treatment. We always
say come visit our website, the Loveline Foundation dot org.
On a quarterly basis. We are always accepting new participants
into our session for therapists. We have a plethora of
programs going on. We are always looking for new therapists
to come onto our platform if they're on any of

(14:14):
our partners, whether it's Psychology Today, Black Girls, Smiles, Open Path,
if you're on any of those platforms, we're always welcoming
any of those therapists within our network and really being able,
as we say to folks, it's really just follow us
on social also because and it's also the lovel and
Foundation on all of our platforms, whether it's Facebook, whether

(14:36):
it's Instagram, TikTok, or even on YouTube. And what we're
really proud of is that we have been listening to
our audience on topics that they want to see. So
what you see on our social media, our topics that
our audience are the ones who are guiding it. And
we've always been seen as a beacon of hope, and
I think that's what everybody wants during this time. So
being able to follow us on our social media, you're

(14:57):
able to actually get additional tips and tools that we
actually provide for everyone, because at the end of the day,
as we've said, we are really trying to destigmatize mental
health for all. Even though we do focus on black
women and girls. Our goal is to just destigmatize mental
health in general and for folks that feel more comfortable
having that conversation.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Charlene Kemmler, CEO of the Loveland Foundation, the website and
their socials again the Loveland Foundation dot org The Loveland
Foundation dot org. Charlene, I really appreciate the time. Best
of luck Manni, thank you so much. Meningitis You've likely
heard the term, but do you know what it is?

(15:39):
Let's discuss it as we bring in doctor Apelbarnes, a pediatrician,
and John Grimes, he's a meningitis survivor. I appreciate you
both for joining us. Thanks so much, great to be
here many Doctor Barnes. Let's start off with I guess
the simple question explain exactly what meningitis is and how
serious it could be.

Speaker 5 (16:00):
So, meningitis is an uncommon but serious bacterial infection that
can lead to long term complications and even depth, sometimes
within twenty four hours. So one in ten of those
that can tract meningitis will die even with the proper treatment,
and one in five of the survivors can have long
term complications, and that includes brain damage, hearing loss, or

(16:21):
lemb amputation, and so anything that a parent can do
talking to their physition about what vaccinations are available for
their team can help with helping to protect them against meningitis.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
There are different kinds of meningitis as well.

Speaker 5 (16:36):
Is that right, There is there's bacterial, there's viral. Any
infectious disease can cause meningitis, but the bacterial ones are
particularly concerning, mainly because even with the proper treatment, you
can still die, as well as the long term complications
that you can have.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
John, you are not only an advocate and a speaker,
but you're a survivor of meningitis. Explained to me what
happened to you, how you dealt with it, and how
you are now.

Speaker 4 (17:07):
Well. Manny. I was nineteen years old as a sophomore
in college, and like I was a typical student, like
most teenagers, felt like I was ten feet tall and bulletproof.
And then I got sick and thought I had like
the flu or something so I took some medicine and
went to bed and woke up eight days later in

(17:27):
the hospital. Wow, blind, disoriented, and more than just a
little lucky to be alive. Really, it was quite miraculous.
My fraternity brother found me on the floor in my
bedroom and I was immediately rushed to the hospital. So
I'm one of the lucky ones.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Manny, doctor Barnes, how do you how does somebody get
men and gitis? First of all, I guess if it's
viral or bacterial. Depends, right, Yeah, it depends.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
And for a bacterial men ningitis an ininjococcal disease uly,
it's spread by a bacteria through commentine behaviors actually, so kissing, coughing,
sharing drinks, utensils, or living in close quarters.

Speaker 2 (18:13):
What are some of the early symptoms that we should
watch for. John obviously had effects that were so strong
that he was just out and didn't wake up for
eight days. But other than the cold systems that the
symptoms that he mentioned, what are some of the usual
symptoms that we should watch out for.

Speaker 5 (18:30):
So they can have severe headache, they can have high fever,
they can have stiff necks as well as a rash
and sensitivity to light.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
And obviously, as in John's case, this could but this
could develop very quickly and warrant medical attention. Where is
that line? Because most of us might get a headache
or flu like symptoms, We're not going to run to
the doctor, much less the hospital.

Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:57):
So typically if there is a very ear headache, if
there's a sudden, very high fever, those would be reasons
to at least go to your primary care physician to see.
But if you get stiff neck, if you get sensitivity delight,
those are things that I would say go to the
marriage the fever room.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
For John. What were you told after you recovered, after
you came to I guess after a daze about what
you'd been through and the fact that you managed to
survive it and we're still alive.

Speaker 4 (19:30):
Well, I learned what meningitis was. That was the first
time I'd ever heard of meningitis. This is when I
emerged from the coma for eight days, But it was
a pretty foggy return, Manny. The first thing I saw
was darkness again. I was disoriented by the darkness. There
was a tube in my nose. I'd lost control of

(19:50):
all my muscles. Speaking was out of the question. I
was irritated, exhausted, confused. I didn't know what was going on,
so trying to explain meningitis to me at that time
it was not going to do anybody a good. But
since then, obviously I've learned quite quite a bit about it.
It's been over twenty eight years, but I've lived with

(20:11):
invisible disabilities since that day. I've lost most of my sight.
I have permanent neurological damage throughout my body, which includes
a bladder that doesn't function normally. So the emotional and
mental toll that it took on me, but really not
just me. It was my parents, my family, and really

(20:32):
the community that had to rally around me to bring
me to where I am today, because we quickly realized
that survival wasn't the end of a journey, it was
just the beginning.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Were all of these long lasting symptoms that you are
facing and still dealing with today so many years later.
Was that because you kind of passed out in your
room and weren't discovered because it wasn't treated quickly, or
is this something that everybody who contracts men and ji
this is at risk of.

Speaker 4 (21:03):
Well I can only speak in terms of my case,
I don't actually really even know the details of how
long I was unintended and unconscious for my roommates were
not I had roommates and they weren't there. When it's
kind of a long story and I'm super interested in
talking about it and telling it. But for purposes of
the time we have here, whatever happened to me happened

(21:26):
between the time that I took that medicine, went to sleep,
and arrived at the hospital. Was diagnosed with menichecoccle meningitis
through a spinal tap, and then treated with the appropriate
antibiotics to stop it. So that I mean I was
treated within twenty four hours for meningitis, but I was

(21:48):
in a medically induced coma for my body to eradicate
the disease from my body and then try to bring me.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Back, doctor Barnes, Is there is there a certain age
where kids are more prone to contract meningitis than others?
Is it everywhere from children to grown ups?

Speaker 5 (22:06):
So anybody can contract meningitis, but the sixteen to twenty
three age range those are particularly at risk from meningitis.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
B Why is that.

Speaker 5 (22:18):
Because of common teene behaviors that they're doing in that
sixteen to twenty three age range. So they're kissing, they're coughing,
they're sharing drinks and utensils, and they're potentially living in
close quarters like college dorms and military.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
There there's a vaccine for meningitis, is there not?

Speaker 5 (22:36):
There are several different vaccinations that protect against the different strains.
There are five, ABC, W and Y, and so depending
on which strain you're trying to protect against, there are
vaccinations that protect against them.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yet and are these is this something that a teenage
or somebody they go for their yearly checkup that a pediatrician,
a general practitioner would recommend that they get. Is it
part of the schedule.

Speaker 5 (23:05):
So typically it may be recommended based on the age
and based on the risk factors. But even if it
isn't brought up, I would say that a parent should
bring it up and ask what their team's risk factors are,
if they've been vaccinated against meningitis, and if there are
vaccinations that they would be able to receive for it.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
And I imagine this is a good time of the
year for a parent to inquire about that, in between
school years or before kids go away to college.

Speaker 5 (23:31):
Absolutely, and sports seasons are starting as well, they're on buses.
I mean, it's just so many different factors and so
definitely back to school time is a really good time
to bring this up to your primary care physician or
medical professional to talk about that.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
A couple more minutes here with doctor a prol Barnes,
she's a pediatrician, and John Grimes, he is actually a
survivor of men and Johnnis who has shared some of
the life changing effects contracting the disease had on him. John,
what made you decide that you wanted to be such
an advocate and speaker for I guess meningitis vaccination.

Speaker 4 (24:11):
As you kind of heard what it did to my life, Manny.
Nobody expects it, including me, and I had never heard
of it. So the more I can do to spread awareness,
to encourage people to have the conversations with their doctors
and their teens doctors, the fewer people and we're hoping

(24:32):
to get to zero that ever have to go through
something like what I'm going through today.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
As you've heard of you were listening to the conversation earlier,
potentially life threatening John almost lost his life. One in
ten people who contract meningitis will die despite appropriate treatment,
sometimes very quickly within twenty four hours. Doctor Barnes tell
me about this Ask to Be Sure campaign.

Speaker 5 (24:58):
Well, Ask to Be Sure star in twenty twenty one,
just to provide awareness but also to armed parents with
the information that they needed to ask questions of their
medical professional about meningitis vaccination, risk factors and ways that
they can help protect their teams. So the website is
ask ask number two letter be sure asure dot com,

(25:23):
and on that website it has information about risk factors,
about meningitis itself and about the questions that parents can ask.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
You're a pediatrician in West Columbia, South Carolina. I'm sure
you are well aware of the increase in vaccine hesitancy
because of the pandemic, but we've seen less children getting
their usual scheduled vaccines. What are some of the things
you've had to deal with with trying to reassure parents

(25:51):
who might be hesitant about getting their kids vaccinated for meningitis.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
So I really start with letting the parent know that
we are a team. It's me and the parent share
decision making, me providing information, the parent providing the final
say about what they would like to do. As I
answer any of the questions, that the parents may have
and really just providing information and just building relationship. I

(26:20):
think a lot of hesitancy comes from people getting different,
different information from a lot of different places, and so
just making sure that you have a good relationship with
your healthcare professional, someone that you can trust and ask
questions and like I said, asked to be sure about meningitis,
vaccination and different things. Just to start the conversation.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
John, you mentioned that when you woke up after eight
days in the hospital, you'd never even heard of meningitis.
Do you think there's enough awareness, enough education about meningitis
in our community, in our country or I think there.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
Can always be more. And I think a great example
of that is this movie Pretty Hurts, the Lifetime original.
It is a very powerful way of delivering poignance, awareness
and really shining a light on meningitis awareness. And there's
a scene in the movie that is very emotional for

(27:19):
me where the doctor is discussing with the mother of
the patients about menaged cockle disease. And it's these types
of stories, the stories that I share, the stories that
other survivors, other family members share, that will get people
talking and start the conversations that can help prevent meningitis.

(27:41):
I think this movie is a tremendous way to do that.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
Doctor Barnes, the history of meningitis vaccines long and safe.

Speaker 5 (27:50):
We're here to talk about particularly meningitis B. But everything
has risks and benefits, and so that's why it's important
to talk to your teens doctors or about what the
particular risk and benefits are for your particular team and
the best way to move forward.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
I always say, if you can't trust your doctor, who
can you trust? So let's close it out by what
advice you have, specifically as a pediatrician for parents who
might be unsure about their children or whether their kids
should be protected.

Speaker 5 (28:21):
I think the biggest advice I would say is you
know you are your team's major advocate, and you and
your healthcare professional, physician or otherwise you are a team
to help protect your team. So make sure that you
know what energitis vaccinations your team has already had. Make
sure you know your team's risk factors and if there

(28:42):
are any vaccinations that they would be eligible to receive,
and then make sure you complete the series that you start,
whether for ACWY or for B.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
I always say knowledge is power, right the website, ask
the number two the letter b sure dot com to
besure dot com and the movie is titled Pretty Hurts.
It's on Lifetime coming up Saturday, June twenty eighth at
eight o'clock. Doctor A Prelbarnes, pediatrician in South Carolina, and

(29:13):
John Grimes, an advocate and survivor of meningitis. I thank
you both very much for your time, for sharing your
experience and your knowledge, and John best of luck moving forward.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
Thanks Manny, great many, Thank you so much, and thank
you for listening to the weekly show here on iHeartRadio.
We place this show in all other episodes up on
our free iHeartRadio app and just simply search forward the
Weekly Show. Thank you and we'll talk to you again
next weekend